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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · game · scale · cabinet · object · sharp · stick · trunk

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. game — a match
  8. object — an aim
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. object — to protest
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com